BARCELONA, Spain -- Lionel Messi converted two penalty kicks in the first half as Barcelona secured its fifth successive Champions League semifinals appearance with a 3-1 win over AC Milan on Tuesday. Barcelona failed to score for the first time in 30 Champions League matches in Milan as the first leg last week ended 0-0, but Messi converted his first penalty in the 11th minute and scored from the spot again in the 41st at the Camp Nou. Messi leads the Champions League with 14 goals and led Barca to the semifinals for the sixth time in the last seven events.

MINSK, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Champions Spain may deploy a converted midfielder alongside central defender Sergio Ramos in Friday's World Cup Group I qualifier in Belarus, coach Vicente Del Bosque said on Thursday. With Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique sidelined by injury, Del Bosque has only one other recognised centre back in the squad in Raul Albiol but he has barely featured for his club Real Madrid in recent months. The other option is to use midfielders Sergio Busquets or Javi Martinez who both have experience in central defence, particularly Martinez who mostly played there last season at Athletic Bilbao before reverting to midfield for his new club Bayern Munich.

MADRID, May 12 (Reuters) - Seydou Keita scored a stoppage-time equaliser as 10-man Barcelona drew 2-2 at Real Betis to wrap up Pep Guardiola's last La Liga campaign as coach of the club on Saturday. Much of the attention had been on whether Lionel Messi would add to his record 50 league goals this term but the World Player of the Year had a quiet game and was upstaged by Betis striker Ruben Castro. Sergio Busquets headed Barca in front from a corner after nine minutes.

MADRID (Reuters) - Andres Iniesta scored the goal that won the World Cup for Spain in 2010 and his quick feet and sharp thinking will be central to their hopes of becoming the first side to retain their Euro crown. Shy and unassuming, the Barcelona playmaker has an uncanny habit of thrusting himself into the limelight with some dramatic goals on the biggest occasions. Iniesta netted the 116th-minute winner against Netherlands in the World Cup final in South Africa in 2010 and struck a wonderful 94th-minute equaliser away to Chelsea that put Barcelona into the 2009 Champions League final on away goals.

By Iain Rogers GDANSK, June 9 (Reuters) - Andres Iniesta was key to Spain's triumphs at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup despite injury problems and the fact that he is fully fit and in scintillating form should strike fear into Spain's rivals in Poland and Ukraine. The fleet-footed attacking midfielder, scorer of the goal that secured the Iberian nation's first world title, tore China apart in Spain's final Euro 2012 warm-up match in Seville last weekend, hitting the crossbar before setting up David Silva to tap in the winner in a 1-0 success.

* Guardiola draws 2-2 in last La Liga game at Barca's helm * Keita heads last ditch equaliser at Real Betis * Valencia lose 1-0 at Real Sociedad (Updates with quotes, details) By Mark Elkington MADRID, May 12 (Reuters) - Seydou Keita saved Pep Guardiola from suffering a defeat in his final La Liga match in charge, heading a stoppage-time equaliser as Barcelona, down to 10 men after a red card for Dani Alves, drew 2-2 at Real Betis on Saturday. After three consecutive league titles, Barca finished the campaign second behind champions Real Madrid with 91 points from 38 matches and a game in which neither side had anything left to play for. Guardiola has one fixture remaining, the King's Cup final against Athletic Bilbao, before handing over the reins to his friend and assistant Tito Vilanova.

DONETSK (Reuters) - Slick Spain showed they are a team who know how to get results against ultra-defensive teams at major championships when they eased past France into the last four of Euro 2012 on Saturday. Backed by a rock-solid defence and controlling possession for long periods, the Spanish were faced with a wall of white French shirts and turned in a typically assured and patient performance to beat Les Bleus for the first time in a competitive game. The 2-0 victory was made all the sweeter by Xabi Alonso's double in his 100th international and the holders march on to meet Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the last four as they seek to become the first nation to win back-to-back continental titles with a World Cup in between.

By Tim Hanlon BARCELONA (Reuters) - Spain launch their bid to retain the World Cup in Brazil with a richly talented squad and the ideal man to keep their feet on the ground as they chase a fourth successive major title - coach Vicente del Bosque. There is little that can ruffle the 63-year-old, who took charge of La Roja after they won Euro 2008 and led them to victory at the World Cup in South Africa two years later, before they defended their continental crown at Euro 2012.